Cinderella
by Brightfire15
Summary: Rose works hard cleaning the TARDIS all day long and falls asleep reading Cinderella. When the Doctor discovers this, he decides to give her a special surprise. 9/Rose fluff.


Cinderella

Cinderella

9thDoctor/Rose

Disclaimer: I do not own _Doctor Who_.

Rose tucked a few strands of hair that had fallen loose from her ponytail. Ignoring the pains in her back from hunching over the floor she'd been scrubbing, she went back to work. She'd been working nearly all day cleaning the TARDIS and she was nearly done, even if she was feeling sore and tired. The TARDIS had been in need of a good cleaning, so she'd taken the job. Personally, Rose liked having an afternoon or so to talk to the old girl alone and listen to some of her favorite songs on the stereo without having to listen to the Doctor's comments on how old Earth music could be—even if most of what he said made her laugh. Fatigue poked at her, but she kept working. Rose hadn't taken a break all day, save for lunch and a trip to the restroom at noon.

Had the Doctor known, he would've insisted Rose relax a little, but he didn't. He hadn't had more than half an hour of sleep for three weeks and when he nearly collapsed to the floor in exhaustion that morning, Rose had swiped his sonic screwdriver, got him into bed and locked the door of his bedroom. The Doctor hadn't even noticed Rose's little theft and he'd been so exhausted he'd been sleeping all day.

Trying to stay awake long enough to finish her work, Rose felt the need for some music.

"Hey, TARDIS, how about you turn on some music? It's getting too quiet."

The TARDIS beeped in questioning.

"Oh, I don't know. I'm in the mood for something fairytale-ish. You pick." said Rose as she scrubbed.

The TARDIS began playing "In My Own Little Corner" from the _Cinderella _movie that had starred Brandy. Rose chuckled softly. She always loved this song. It reminded her of how she used to dream of traveling and being more than just a shop girl. That had been before she'd met the Doctor and became his companion. She smiled to herself and sang along.

"_I'm as mild and as meek as a mouse_

_When I hear a command, I obey_

_For I know of a spot in my house_

_Where no one can stand in my way_

_In my own little corner_

_In my own little chair_

_I can be whatever I want to be_

_On the wing of my fancy_

_I can fly anywhere_

_And the world will open its arms to me_

_I'm a young Egyptian princess_

_Or a milkmaid_

_I'm the greatest Prima Donna in Milan _

_I'm an heiress who always had her silk made_

_By her own flock of silkworms in Japan_

_I'm a girl men go mad for _

_Love's a game I can play _

_With a cool and confidant kind of air_

_Just as long as I stay _

_In my own little corner_

_All alone, in my own little chair_

_I can be whatever I want to be_

_I'm a thief in Calcutta_

_I'm a queen in Peru_

_I'm a mermaid dancing upon the sea_

_I'm a huntress on an African Safari_

_It's a dangerous type of sport_

_And yet it's fun_

_In the night I sally forth to seek my quarry_

_And I find I forgot to bring my gun_

_I am lost in the jungle_

_All alone and unarmed_

_When I meet a lioness in her lair_

_Then I'm glad to be back _

_In my own little corner_

_All alone in my own, _

_Little chair._"

As the song ended, Rose put the bucket and scrub brush away and sat back on a kitchen chair. Her work was done and the TARDIS was completely spotless. Even the controls back in the consol room were shining.

"I'm all finished. Like it, old girl?" Rose asked.

The TARDIS purred and wrapped its warmth around Rose.

Rose smiled. "Thanks."

She felt a little pain from her hands when she clapped them together. She examined them and found they were red and sore and even bleeding a little from working all day, her back was killing her and she felt exhausted. Even the simple clothes she had slipped on were faded, a little damp and torn. Sighing, she checked her cell phone to find out what time it was. It was a quarter to midnight. She hadn't even noticed how late it'd been getting. She realized she'd been working since six that morning. Nearly eighteen hours. Where had the time gone?

The TARDIS gave off a concerned feeling.

"Yeah, I know, it's late. Don't worry about me. I just want to read for a moment and then I'll get some sleep. Thanks for talking to me, it's been fun."

After carefully applying some cream on her hands, she went into the living room and sank into the couch with her battered copy of _Cinderella_. It had always been one of her favorite fairytales when she was younger. True love and finding your Prince Charming was something she'd always wanted. At first she'd thought Mickey was her prince, but she'd realized it was the Doctor. She'd never confessed her feelings for him and for the moment they were just friends.

"But a girl can dream, can't she?" Rose murmured.

At midnight, she fell asleep on the couch and the book slid onto the floor.

The Doctor woke up in his room. Stretching and yawning, he got to his feet and found the door locked. Sighing, he searched for his sonic screwdriver and found it gone. He was puzzled for a moment before realizing Rose must've taken it.

"Come on, old girl, let me out, please." he asked. "I've had twenty-four hours of sleep, isn't that enough?"

The door unlocked and slowly swung open.

"Thank you," he said. "Now, where's—" He stopped talking when he saw how clean the TARDIS was. It was completely spotless and even all the dying light bulbs had been replaced and the control panel gleamed.

"Did Rose do all this?" he asked. "Blimey, it looks fantastic."

The TARDIS purred.

"She worked pretty hard. It must've taken her ages," he said, as he examined the consol room.

The TARDIS spoke to him again.

"You're kidding! She was up until nearly midnight working and she stopped working for only fifteen minutes all together? Thirty minutes short of eighteen hours of cleaning, blimey. Is she alright? Where is she?"

The TARDIS told him and he went off to find her. It was six in the morning. She was probably still asleep, and he wouldn't wake her, but he had to see her.

He found her curled up on the couch sleeping. He could see the palms of her hands, and was dismayed when he saw they were red and bleeding. He noticed his sonic screwdriver was hanging from her jacket sleeve; he took it and held it over her hands—healing them. Smiling to himself, he gently stroked her hair as she slept. She worked so hard and she never asked for anything in return. She deserved a little surprise and he would be the one to deliver it. It had to be something special for his Rose, but what? A book on the floor caught his eye. After a quick examination, he found it to be _Cinderella. _And that was when it struck him. After tucking a blanket over her shoulders, he placed her book on a table and snuck away.

Rose woke up a few hours later. She was surprised to find a blanket over her shoulders and her hands were all healed.

"That is weird," she murmured.

She switched on her phone and found it was nine in morning. Feeling rested, she got off the couch and after checking her pockets, she realized the Doctor's sonic screwdriver was gone. Had she lost it? She began looking around until she spotted a note lying on top of her book. She picked it up and read the following note.

_Rose, _

_I woke up at six and I saw how well you cleaned up the TARDIS. It's absolutely great—thanks. I found out how hard and how late you were up working, so I decided to surprise you with a little something I think you'll enjoy. But you'll need to dress properly, so I've laid out something on your bed. You'll love what I've got planned for you. Thanks again for all the work you put in last night. _

_Love, the Doctor._

_P.S. I fixed up your hands and I've got the sonic screwdriver, so if you don't find it in your pocket, don't worry. _

Rose smiled and went to her room. She gasped when she saw what the Doctor had laid out on the bed.

It was a beautiful, flowing, sky-blue princess-like dress, the sleeves short and delicate and there was a tear-drop shaped necklace with a blue topaz set into it on top of the dress. Along with a pair of white satin gloves, there was also a dark blue velvet cloak sparkling with what appeared to be little stars and there were golden fastenings on it. Rose held the gown up and looked at it in the mirror. She found two more notes tapped to the mirror.

_Rose,_

_When you've changed, you'll find the TARDIS is parked and I'll be at this address. It's easy to find and getting there will be no problem—I pulled in a little favor with a friend. He'll find you and take you there. _

_The Doctor. _

This interested Rose even more as she quickly changed. After slipping on the gown and necklace, she put her hair up into an elegant bun, put on some dark blue high heels and fastened her cloak before going outside.

Wherever the TARDIS had been parked, it was nighttime and snowing. It was a breathtaking place. Pulling her hood closer to keep out the chill, she began walking.

An enormous white carriage pulled up to her.

"Are you Rose Tyler?" the driver asked.

"Yes."

"Hop in. The Doctor asked me to take you to Palace. I'm Neth, by the way."

"Pleasure," said Rose as she sat down. "So, what's going on at the Palace?"

"I can't tell you that," said Neth, smiling. "The Doctor would kill me."

Rose chuckled softly to herself as the carriage drove on.

They arrived a short while later. Rose couldn't believe her eyes. It was a beautiful palace made entirely of white crystal. Golden lights glowed from the inside. "It's beautiful," she breathed.

"The Doctor's waiting inside for you. By the way, you look lovely," Neth said, helping her out of the carriage.

"Thank you," said Rose. "It's been nice meeting you, Neth."

Neth nodded and drove off. "Be back later!" he called over his shoulder.

Rose waved and walked up the steps. She couldn't believe this place. She went inside and walked down an enormous hall. When she came to a large frosted glass door, there was a tap on her shoulder behind her. Expecting the Doctor, she turned around eagerly and her face nearly fell when she saw it was a butler.

"May I take your cloak, Miss?" he asked.

"Yes, thank you."

He took it and hung it on a rack.

"It'll be here when you require it again. Enjoy yourself, Miss."

Rose nodded opened the door. Her jaw nearly dropped. She was at a ball. Dozens of women dressed in flowing silk gowns, men in tuxedoes, there was an orchestra playing, two singers were with the orchestra and on a throne sat two people. Rose guessed they were the King and Queen. As she had not spotted the Doctor in the crowd, she felt a little nervous walking down the stairs. Time seemed to slow as she walked because the music died down the people stopped dancing. Rose tried to ignore their stares.

When she reached the bottom, she saw the Doctor, wearing his trademark leather jacket and jumper and he was smiling at her. He took her hand. "May I have this dance, Miss Tyler?" he asked.

Rose smiled. "Of course you may, Doctor."

He pulled her into a lively waltz as the music picked up again.

"You look absolutely beautiful," he said.

"Thank you."

"So, what do you think of my little surprise?" he asked.

"It's wonderful," said Rose. "I love it. Thank you so much."

"I'm glad you like it," he said, smiling.

"Blimey, everyone's staring at us," said Rose.

"Are they? I'd forgotten anyone else was here." He seemed quite serious when he said this.

The orchestra began playing "Ten Minutes Ago."

"_Ten minutes ago I saw you_

_I looked up when you came through the door _

_My head starting reeling_

_You gave me the feeling _

_The room had no ceiling or floor_

_Ten minutes ago I met you _

_And we murmured our_

_How-do-you-do's _

_I want to ring out the bells_

_And fling out my arms_

_And to sing out the news_

_I have found her _

_She's an angel_

_With the dust of the stars_

_In her eyes_

_We are dancing_

_We are flying _

_And she's taking me back to the skies_

_In the arms of my love I'm flying_

_Over mountain and meadow and glen_

_And I like it so well that for all I can tell_

_I may never come down again_

_I may never come down to Earth again_

_Ten minutes ago I met you _

_And we murmured our_

_How-do-you-do's_

_I wanted to ring out the bells_

_And fling out my arms _

_And to sing out the news_

_I have found her_

_I have found him_

_In the arms of my love I'm flying_

_Over mountain and meadow and glen_

_And I like it so well that for all I can tell_

_I may never come down again_

_I may never come down to Earth again._"

Rose smiled as she danced with the Doctor. It felt so wonderful to be dancing with him, here in the palace. She was happy he'd done all this for her. For one night in all their travels, they could have one special evening with just the two of them. She felt like Cinderella and wanted to fly away with the Doctor.

After a few more songs and getting Rose's cloak, they took a stroll along the palace gardens, which were in full bloom despite the cold winter.

"It is so beautiful here," Rose said. "Where and when are we?"

"We're in Hala in the year of 9876. It's an Earth colony. Fantastic, isn't it?" he said.

"Yes," said Rose. "I love it here and all, but out of curiosity, what made you think of coming here?"

To her surprise, the Doctor went red. "I, uh, saw your book on floor, when you were sleeping."

"Oh?" Rose prodded.

"Well, I thought since you'd been working so hard and it was one your favorites, I thought I'd treat you to your own little ball."

"Well, it's great. But don't be surprised if I run away at the stroke of twelve," said Rose, hugging him.

He hugged her back. "It'd be just like the story. You know, I helped the Grimm brothers write most of their stories?"

"You did?"

"Yep. I gave them the inspiration and everything."

They went on talking and before long, Rose was resisting the urge to kiss him. She loved the Doctor so much, but she didn't know if he loved her. When they went back inside, they started dancing again.

Rose recognized the song as "Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful?"

The Doctor was deep in thought as he and Rose slowly danced to the song.

"_Do I love you because you're beautiful?_

_Or are you beautiful I love you?_

_Am I making believe I see in you? _

_A girl too lovely to be really true_

_Do I want you because you're wonderful?_

_Or are you wonderful because I want you?_

_Are you the sweet invention of a lover's dream?_

_Or are you really as beautiful as you seem?_"

Rose was unlike any other person he'd ever met. She was wonderful, brave, loyal and she willingly stuck with him through it all. Since meeting her, he'd felt something awakening inside of him he'd thought was long gone. Was that why it was so hard to tell her how he felt?

"_Am I making believe I see in you?_

_A man too perfect to be really true_

_Do I want you because you're wonderful?_

_Or are you wonderful because I want you?_

_Are you the sweet invention of a lover's dream? _

_Or are you really as wonderful as you seem?_"

The Doctor wasn't perfect, Rose knew that, but he was still her wonderful Time Lord that she loved. He'd been through so much in his life and still, he held on and he was there for her when she needed him the most. She never wanted the night to end.

The song began to repeat the last few lines and as it did, Rose and the Doctor stopped dancing and looked into each other's eyes.

"Rose?"

"Yes, Doctor?"

"I-I love you," he said.

Rose fought back happy tears. "I love you too."

He brought her closer and kissed her passionately on the lips.

"Aww!"

Rose and the Doctor broke free of their kiss to see that everyone in the ballroom was eyeing them with envy and smiles.

The clock struck twelve and the Doctor and Rose looked at each other.

"That's our cue," he said.

Rose nodded and slipped her hand into his as they left the palace.

The carriage was waiting for them and took them back to the TARDIS. It had been the perfect evening and neither of them had ever been happier. And they both lived happily ever after.

_The End_

_Hope you all enjoyed that. _

_Read and Review! _


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